Pocket-knife.



'PATENTED' MAR. 19,- 1907 E. H. HAWLEY.

POCKET KNIFE. APPLICATION FILED JAN.26.1907'.-

M by ease:

ms nomns PETERS cm, wnsnma-rou, 01 c EDWIN H. HAWLEY, OF

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

POCKET-KNIFE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 19, 1907.

Application filed Ianuary 26, 1907. Serial No. 354,267.

T0 or. whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. HAwLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented newand useful Improvements in Pocket-Knives, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to pocket-knives, or those consisting of a handlehaving a blade folding into the same, and the object of the invention isto provide such a knife with means for readily opening the blade withoutusing the thumb-nail.

To this end the invention consists in the combination, with each blade,of a lever pivoted to the side of the blade near the tang and foldingdown by the side of the blade when not in use. The lever has alaterallyprojecting flange with which the ball of the thumb can beengaged when the blade is to be opened.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a threebladed pocket-knife embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional sideelevation showing the location and operation of the opening-lever; andFig. 8 is a perspective view, on a larger scale, of one of the bladesand its openinglever.

The knife may be-of the usual construction, having the handle composedof side thereto by the central rivet 3.

plates 1 and the spring-back 2, connected At each end of the handle isone or more blades 4, pivoted on the transverse rivets or pivot-pins 5,the ends of the spring or springs 2 bearing against the tangs 6 of saidblades, as usual. In one side of each tang (the outside, if two bladesare pivoted side by side) is a recess 7, in which is pivoted a shortlever 8, formed of thin metal, so as to lie close to the blade and flushwith the surface of the tang. The heel 9 of the lever is circular inoutline and fits snugly in the recess, which is also circulalta t thisoint, concentric with the pivot 10, on whicli the lever is fulcrumed.The back of the recess is upright and at right angles with the back ofthe blade, so that when the lever is turned up, as shown in Fig. 3, itsback will abut against the back of the recess. When the lever is turneddown, a shoulder 11 strikes the front edge of the recess and stops thelever at the instant that its back lies flush with the back of theblade. The blade may also have a shoulder 12, against which the end ofthe lever will abut when it is closed. On the outer side of theleverthat is, the side away from the bladethere is a flange I 13,projecting sufficiently to enable it to be engaged readily by the ballof the thumb.

When the knife is closed, the flanges lie substantially flush with thesides of the handle, as shown in Fig. 1. If a blade is to be opened, itslever is raised to the position shown in Fig. 3 or in dotted lines at 14in Fig. 2. In this position its back abuts against the back of therecess, so that fur- I ther movement of the lever causes the blade toopen, as shown at 15 and 16, Fig. 2. The lever can be left in thisposition or it can be closed down alongside the blade, as shown at 17 inFig. 2. Being short, it does not interfere with the ordinary uses of theblade. When closed, the lever or levers is or are inconspicuous, and donot project in such a manner as to wear holes in the pockets of theowner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combinationwith a knife having .a handle and a pivoted blade, of a lever pivoted tothe side of the blade at a point noncoincident with the blade-pivot, andabutting against a shoulder on said blade when opened; said levershutting into the handle alongside of the blade when closed.

2. The combination with a knife having a handle and a pivoted blade, ofa lever pivoted to the side of said blade at a point noncoincident withthe blade-pivot, and having a laterally-projecting flange.

3. The combination with a knife having a handle and a pivoted bladeprovided with a recess in its side, of a lever pivoted in said recessand adapted to close down by the side of said blade.

4. The combination with a knife having a handle and a pivoted bladeprovided with a recess in its side having a circular portion and astraight back at right angles to the back of the blade, of a leverhaving a circular portion fitting said recess and a back adapted to abutagainst the back of the recess when opened.

5. The combination with a knife having a handle and a pivoted bladeprovided with a ICC recess in its side having a circular portion name tothis specification in the presence of andka fstraight bacli at rightangles to the I tWo subscribing Witnesses.

bac o the blade, 0 t a lever havirv a circular I 7 r portion fittingsaid recess and a back adapted 1 IN HAVVLEX to abut against the back ofthe recess When \Vitnesses:

opened, and a laterally-projecting flange. l ALEXANDER L. STEUART,

In' testimony whereof I have signed my 5 H. L. ROCKWELL.

